ctaylor3737

Hello everyone,
 
I realized recently that we do not have an article dedicated to the topic of shipping shrimp. The goal of this article is to give people that are new to shipping shrimp some ideas about how that we do it. I realize that with anything in this hobby there is more than one way to do this. Some things or items that I use will not work for everyone and they may have a different opinion. I am always open for different ideas, Im just writing up what I know and what has worked for me!
 
So you got some shrimp and have had them a for awhile and you are getting to the point that you want to sell off some of your stock. The easiest way is to find a LFS or someone in the hobby around your area to trade or sell to. The downfall to this is they usually will only give you credit or you wont get what you want out of your shrimp that you spent all this time and effort into raising. That is when you turn to the forum that you use and get information from and that led you to the article! The great thing about turning to an online is your in direct connection with someone that truly is looking for the exact quality livestock that you carry. There are a number of things that go into a sale once you both agree to send the shrimp,
 
Initial 3 Questions to get answered before shipping:
 
First: Getting Paid lol, keep it safe and always use Paypal and do not send until the payment is in your account. Common sense but some people are new to online selling.
 
2nd: Make sure the party you are sending to and you have came to an agreement on shipping costs and speed. Many people take the chance and send USPS Priority Mail. It takes 2 days to get about anywhere, it is not guaranteed shipping though so things can and will happen to your package. There is usually little chance of DOA shrimp unless it is lost for more than a week. Now this is really just for the shrimp strains that can handle being in the bag that long such as the Neocaridina Species. Taiwan Bees and other less hardy strains should get shipped a little quicker, although I have seen them both do good in two day shipping.
 
3rd: Pick a day to ship and setup with the buyer to be home when the package arrives. You can instruct them to call the post office to hold the package at the office for pickup. You can also write on the box hold for pickup before you send, 9 times out of 10 if they dont call the office it will still get delivered. This is where damage to the shrimp comes in, when it is delivered it is in a box that is usually black and holds heat, on 95F days this will roast the shrimp in a matter of minutes. The same goes for the cold to the heatpack used is usually at the end of its breath when it reaches you.
 
 
Items to use for shipping
 
 

 
What you need to decide is what will work for you and how you want to protect your valuable livestock. First would be the package size that you want to use. For a small order with 1 or 2 bags you can use the 7x7x6 box which can be ordered here at the USPS Free Boxes. They will deliver these to your house. Check the site for other odd shaped boxes as most will only carry the flate rate boxes at the store. The flat rate boxes are not really good for this situation because it does not cost that much to ship a box of shrimp.
 
Next you need it is best to ship the shrimp in a breather bag. They are very simple in the concept they allow Co2 gas to exit and O2 to enter the bag. That is how they can stay in the bag a few days because they have little bioload and they can breathe. The best way is to not feed them for a day or two before you go. Another great trick is to add a little bit of Seachem Purigen
to the bag. This way it will absorb the little waste that may accumilate during transit.
 
 

 
Kordon Breather Bags are the bag of choice in the hobby for shipping shrimp. Up until recently there wasnt anyone else that made these, from what I hear thier patent expired so a chinese company is making something called the Ultimate Breather bag. I have used both and think they both do the same job and havent found a reason not to use either. Just be sure to check for any leaks prior to putting in box. I have had some leak that I caught before the box made it out. Another VERY important step is to include a piece of moss, plant or other material for the shrimp to hang on during transit. This is why conventional fish bags are not good for shrimp, they are somewhat more fragile and sloshing around in the bag causes undue stress that could later contribute to thier death. Another key thing to remember is that you need to wrap the bag in newspaper or something similar, papertowels are sometimes used. Not sure what this does but was always told by the company to do this so I do.
 

 
 
Seachem Purigen is another key part that can be used in the bag when shipping. If you buy this be sure to buy the 250Ml or larger because the 100 bags are sealed and would not be as effecient. You only need a very tiny amount just a few in the bag and it will help absorb anything that is bad in the water caused by the shrimp.
 
Insulation and Packing Materials
 
Now that we have gone into what to use to package the shrimp, you also have to think about what your going to line the box with to add a little crush resistance and to keep the bag from rolling around in the box. There are a number of ways to do this. Some people will buy a sheet of insulation that you can find at Lowes and just cut to fit to line the boxes. There are also some sites that sell premolded foam to fit in the boxes. The ones that I use are located from TSK Shipping supplies and here is the preview of them.
 
 

 
These fit perfectly into the priority mail box and provide excellent protection. I line my box with packing peanuts, insulation, newspaper or whatever else you have laying around your house.
 
 
Heat & Cold Packs
 
One of the main points in shipping shrimp and fish is to be cautious of the weather. It may be perfect where you live but out in Texas it may be 100F which would result in loss of a package. You can find Dry Gel Cold packs here, I use these ones because the shipping to you are cheap because they are dry, all you simply do is soak them in water for 15 mins and then freeze them. When using cold packs tape one to the bottom of the lid of the box, do not allow any part of it to touch the actual bag of shrimp, this could cause alot of problems for you when its traveling. Being that these are so cheap you can have the option of adding one for an extra fee, I usually just place mine in sandwhich sized bags and then just tape the bag to the top. Just make sure that there is enough room when you shove the lid down that it doesnt smash against the bag. Use these is standard when 70-80 temps. I normally do not ship if it over that temperature, I am more comfortable shipping shrimp in the dead of winter than in the summer. The heat packs seem to work alot better than the cold packs.
 

 
Heat Packs are used when shipping in cooler temperatures, these need to be factored into your shipping price as these run a bit more than the cold packs do. These are really the same instructions as the cold packs in regards that you should not allow them to touch the bag at all during shipping. It also is advised to open the pack activate it and let it get to full heat before putting into the box. This will allow you to be sure that there is a stable temperature in the box, chances are you will get a high amount of heat first and then it will cool off as it goes. They do work though and have gotten packages when it was -20 outside and during a snowstorm and the pack was still warm.
 
 
 
 
 
More to follow: Will finish this later...

I remember you it’s been awhile!

Here....

Grant from Garden of Eder is probably top dawg now day.
Everyone else has scattered or gone to facebook in my opinion.
About once a year, we will get a post from some of the OG's.

soothing sold it all

Hahaha
-Chris

So after searching the net for awhile I have found a great shipping tool for shrimp. Sure there are other ways that maybe cheaper but these boxes are molded to fit in a priority shipping box perfectly. They are 3/4 in thick and are very crush resistant. They run out to be 3.00$ a box, which for me isn't bad if I'm shipping like w animals. If you have ever had a crushed box you know what I mean. I work mine into my shipping fee so it is covered anyways. Literally easy to use and care free.
I have tested these for 6 shipments with zero issues with the boxes. I also bought the dry gel cold packs that are dirt cheap and also easy to use. Here is some pictures of the shipping boxes.




Figured I would share these. I also just use packing peanuts or insulation to pack the boxes.

old thread, but great info here.
 
has your shipping costs increased much?  I see alot of people offering priority for ~$12 now a days.  I am assuming it is the same size box 7x7x6 that you mentioned.  Are you keeping the weight under a pound?

It's not that people don't it's just that it's more of a hassle than it is worth. The cost of shipping alone deters most people. You would probably have a lot better luck finding a supplier in Germany, Japan that would ship to you. They have better export laws and not so many hoops to jump through. There's also the risk of customs seizing it on your end, you have to know the law about importing species into your country.



Taylor's Aquatics - Rare Plants & Inverts
http://www.taylorsaquatics.com

No worries just stating my opinion on the matter, everyone does something different that works for them.


Taylor's Aquatics - Rare Plants & Inverts
http://www.taylorsaquatics.com

No worries just stating my opinion on the matter, everyone does something different that works for them.


Taylor's Aquatics - Rare Plants & Inverts
http://www.taylorsaquatics.com

Need more information, are you asking if there is new ones? Technically there is always new ones as people are constantly working on strains and improving genes. Question is are they new to you?


Taylor's Aquatics - Rare Plants & Inverts
http://www.taylorsaquatics.com

Thought you weren't getting out?


Taylor's Aquatics - Rare Plants & Inverts
http://www.taylorsaquatics.com

Your at the prices they are now, just saying how much they dropped in a year or so. But everything new to the U.S gets a high price that's how it goes.


Taylor's Aquatics - Rare Plants & Inverts
http://www.taylorsaquatics.com

As we keep seeing more and more people flooding the market with "cheap" unnamed buces I want to take a minute and explain where alot of these come from. Before I really got into importing buces and plants, I like most people always wondered why you could get huge clumps of buce cheap overseas. The reason is simple they collect them from the wild.
Many species of buces have been destroyed by greedy hunters looking to make a quick buck selling them. Then we see people here selling emmersed buces cheap and they fail to inform customers that they are wild collected, grown emmersed as all buces usually are. There is also a transition period and you will have some die off as it transitions to submerged form. Not usually a big deal but being we all have shrimps it can and most likely will crash a tank. (Happened to me) lost 300$ worth of shrimp.
As with most animals, plants etc. It's everyone's role to ensure they are protected from being destroyed so more people can enjoy them. Just wanted to give some people an idea of things to look out for and be informed on the process.

What's up everyone? I will be lurking around more, usually take some time off in the summer form being online and what not. Lots of changes to my fish room haven't updated things in awhile!!
I have a bunch of new shrimp and jump starting my old colonies and look forward to talking shrimp again! Lots of new people so figured I would say hello.

Still one of my favorite mosses around!


Taylor's Aquatics - Rare Plants & Inverts
http://www.taylorsaquatics.com

I want inform I finally got them!!!!! !!'

Dam they are beautiful! I'll post pics has them a month or two!!!


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http://www.taylorsaquatics.com/product/snowflake-shrimp-food/
Just wanted to add I started selling here and have sold over 600 bags of the shrimp food! People have loved it and get great reviews about it!

It doesn't go bad from what I can tell, I still have some from over a year and it is still good. Just keep sealed, dry and it should last.

Was testing the waters and seeing how much interest there was. I am bringing again my snowflake shrimp food. As you all know it is the same that's on the market now. I sell 60g bags compared to everyone's 30g bag.
Price will be 6.50 a bag to start 2.50 shipping. , 3+bags will get free shipping and cheaper rate at 5 bags.
What does everyone think?
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Snowflake "Upstate Blizzard" is the only shrimp food 100% All-Natural made im the U.S


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I want inform I finally got them!!!!! !!'

Dam they are beautiful! I'll post pics has them a month or two!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome back again! Always glad to see you here.

What's up everyone? I will be lurking around more, usually take some time off in the summer form being online and what not. Lots of changes to my fish room haven't updated things in awhile!!
I have a bunch of new shrimp and jump starting my old colonies and look forward to talking shrimp again! Lots of new people so figured I would say hello.